Electrical cable connector



Jan. 19, 1943. H. A. JACKSON ELECTRICAL CABLE CONNECTOR l T J I I llFiled Feb. 27, 1941 n 5 W h m M M 1 mm M w W um MW a F a M Q\ NW d5 V omww vrfi kgg I! Q Patented Jan. 19, 1943 UNITED ELECTRICAL CABLECONNECTOR Honel A. Jackson, Detroit, Mich.

Application February 27, 1941, Serial No. 380,902

7 Claim.

This invention relates to electrical cable connectors.

An important object of this invention is to provide a novel form ofcable connector which is quickly connected and functions to positivelyhold the terminal members against accidental disengagement. Anotherobject of this invention is to provide a novel two plece'insulatingcover which not only protects the terminal from contact with outsideobjects but is-also capable of drawing the two terminal members-of theconnector together and hold the same against accidental separation. Animportant feature of the invention is the provision of novel means onthe insulating cover and the terminal members which cooperate with oneanother to hold the terminals in engaged position until the cover isremoved.

Various other objects, advantages and meritorious features of thisinvention will become more fully apparent from the followingspecification,

appended claims and accompanying drawing,

wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the two parts of theconnector and the and the insulating cover therefor, illustrating theposition of the parts before connection is'made,

Fig. 2 is a similar view to Fig. 1 showing the position of the partswhen the terminal members of the connector are engaged.

Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 2 showing the position of the partswhen the insulating cover I, is acting to hold the terminal membersagainst engagement, and

Fig. 4 is an outside view of the assembly showing the parts in connectedposition.

Fig. 5 is a section along line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

The type of terminal members used in the illustrated embodiment of theinvention exemplifies one form of cable connection for which thisinvention is adapted. In this form, male and female terminal members areemployed, the former being capable of sliding within the latter tocomplete the electrical connection. Other ways of bringing the terminalslongitudinally into engagement are possible and the invention isintended to apply to these other means.

Referring particularly to the drawing, the male terminal member'isindicated at in; the female member at l2. The latter is provided with atapering recess [4 of a size to slidingly receive J the shank of memberl0 and bring the two into tight frictional engagement before the end ofthe member l0 reaches the bottom of the recess H. The rear end of themembers 10 and 12 are simi: larly formed to provide recesses l6 intowhich the exposed end of-cables l8 may be received and soldered orotherwise permanently secured thereto.

In Fig. 1 the terminals I0 and H are separated from one another; in Fig.2 they are brought together, forming electrical connection.

As previously described. the connection is enclosed within a novelprotecting insulating cover. This cover is formed of two parts, each inthe form of a sleeve loosely mounted on a terminal member and composedof electrical insulating material. The sleeve on terminal member I0 isindicated at 20. The sleeve on terminalmembet [2 is indicated at 22.Except for final operation in the process of manufacture, these sleevesare similar to one another in construction. In other words, until theirfinal step of manufacture they are exact duplicates of one another andas a result there is a considerable saving of time, labor and materialin constructing these parts.

The sleeves in the illustrated embodiment of the invention diifer fromone another by the provision ofa'proiecting metal collar 24 secured inthe end of one of the sleeves which is adapted to be threaded into theend fof the other sleeve to couple the two sleeves together. Collar 24is ex ternally threaded as indicated. It is immovably secured in anysuitable way in the end of one of the sleeves with approximatelyone-half of its length projecting therefrom. The'forward end of theother sleeve is internally threaded as indicated at 26 for threadedengagement with the collar on the other sleeve.

As hereinabove mentioned, novel means is provided between the sleeve andthe terminal members which-function to positively prevent accidentaldisengagement of the terminal members. This means is in the form ofspecial abutting surfaces between the two sleeves and the members I!)and I2. As the sleeves are threadedly coupled together their surfacescome into engagement and hold the terminal members from disengagement.In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, these surfaces compriseshoulders 28-28 on the terminal members and'internal shoulders 30-30 onthe sleeves; Shoulders 28-J8are preferably formed integrally on theirrespective terminal members. 'The shoulders 30-30 are preferably formedby boring each sleeve with two different diameters to form a rear endsection which slidingly fits-the cable end of the terminal member whichit encloses and a forward section which may slide over the shoulder 28.

The position of the respective shoulders bear such a relation to oneanother and to the engagement of the members l and I! that when thelatter are fully engaged as in Fig. 2, there is a slight clearancebetween the shoulders when the sleeves are flrst threaded together.Thus, upon further threading the two sleeves together the shoulders30-40 approach the backside of the shoulders 28-28 and will abut thelatter before the two sleeves are completely threaded together as Fig. 3indicates. It is evident that upon tightening the sleeves when in thisposition the shoulders function to positively hold the terother to forman electrical connection, a sleeve on each member shiftable toward andaway from the free ends thereof,-a1i=extemal shoulder on each member, aninternal shoulder on each sleeve adapted to abut the shoulder of themember which it encloses on the cable connectedside thereof, and meanson the adjacent ends of said sleeves adapted to thread the same togetherand by such action draw the two sleeves together until the shoulders onthe sleeves abut the shoulders on the members.

2. An electrical cable conductor comprising, in combination, a pair ofelectrical conducting metal member shaped on one of their ends fortelescoping engagement and on their opposite ends for attachment to theends of electrical cables, a sleeve of electrical insulation materialencircling each member and slidable longitudinally thereon, an externalshoulder on each member, an internal shoulder on each sleeve adapted toabut the cable side of the external shoulder of the member it encircles,an externally threaded section carried on the end of one of the sleevesadapted to be brought into threaded engagement with an internallythreaded section carried on the other sleeve, said shoulders on thesleeves and members so disposed with respect to one another and thethreaded sections that the shoulders are brought into abutment before.the sleeves are fully threadedly coupled together.

3. A cable connector comprising, in combination, a female member adaptedto be connected to a cable, a male member adapted to be connected toanother cable, said male member having a tapered shank receivable in atapered recess in the end of the female member, both of said membersbeing formed with circular shoul-- ders, asleeve on each member formedof insulation material and provided with an internal shoulder adapted toabut the shoulder of the member on which it is mounted. and means forthreading the ends of said sleeves together to draw the two toward oneanother until the shoulders on the sleeves engage those on the members.

4. A cable connector comprising, in combination, a pair of elongatedmetal conducting members shaped for endwise engagement with one anotherto form an electrical connection, each member provided with twoconcentric circular surfaces of unequal diameter connected by a radiallyextending surface forming a shoulder, a

vthe shoulder of the memberitencircles on the side thereof opposite tothe engaging end of the member, and means for threadediy coupling thesleeves together so related to the shoulders that before the sleeves arefully threadedly coupled together the shoulders on the sleeves abuttheir respective shoulders on the members.

5. A cable connector comprising two cooper- .ating members formed ofrigid electrical conductive material, one having a substantiallyfrustoconical projection and theother a irusto-conical recess, saidmembers being adapted for fitting engagement with one another with theirconical surfaces in facial contact and with the outer end of saidprojection spaced from the bottomof the frusto-conical recess, a pair ofinsulating sleeves of like construction rotatably and slidably receivedone on each of said members, one of said sleeves having a metal ringprojecting forwardly therefrom toward the other sleeve and externallythreaded, said other sleeve provided on its forward end with, aninternally threaded section adapted to be threadcdiy received upon thethreads of said ring, said members each provided with an externalannular shoulder intermediate their ends, said sleeves each providedwith an internal annular shoulder adapted to abut the external annularshoulder of the member it encloses on the side thereof opposite to saidfrusto-conical surfaces, said shoulders so disposed with respect to oneanother and said ring as to abut one another after the frustoconicalsurfaces are brought into facial contact but before the ring iscompletely threaded to said internally threaded section of the opposingsleeve.

6. A cable connector comprising, in combination, two cooperating membersformed of rigid electrical conductive material, each membercorrespondingly shaped with an external integrally formed annularshoulder intermediate its ends and with an axial opening in one of itsends for receiving the end of an electric cable, the opposite end of oneof said members having a substantially frusto-conical recess and theopposite end of the other member having a frustoconical projection, saidprojection and recess being adapted for fitting engagement with one another with their conical surfaces in facial contact and with the outerend of the projection spaced from the bottom of the recess, a pair ofinsulating sleeves of like construction each shaped internally withlongitudinal sections of different diameters forming at their juncturean annular shoulder having a diameter substantially that of the externalshoulders on said members, saidsleeves each enclosing one of saidmembers with the internal shoulder thereof on the side of the externalshoulder of the member adjacent to the cable receiving ends, a ringfitted into the forward end of one of said sleeves and projectingtherefrom having an externally threaded section adapted to be threadedlyengaged to an internally threaded section on the forward end of theother member, said threaded sections so disposed with respect to theexternal and internal shoulders of each member and the sleeve enclosingthe same that after the frusto-conical surfaces are engaged theshoulders abut one another before the ring is completely threaded home.

'7, A cable connector comprising, in combination, two cooperatingelongated members of rigid electrical conductive material each havingits rear end provided with an opening for receiving the end of anelectric cable, said members each provided with a corresponding outsidecylindrical surface adjacent its rear end and with a correspondingintegrally formed external annular shoulder rising from said cylindricalsurface forwardly thereof, the forward end of one of said members havinga substantially frusto-conical recess and the forward end of the othermember having a frusto-conical projection being adapted for fittingengagement with said recess with their conical surfaces in facialcontact and with the outer end of the projection spaced from the bottomof the recess, a pair of sleeves of like conand each adapted to encloseone of said members, said sleeves each shaped interiorly withlongitudinal circular sections of different diameters forming at their'juncture an internal annular shoulder, the section of less diameter ofeach sleeve having substantially the same diameter as said cylindricalsurface of the member which it encloses and adapted to slide and rotatethereon, a metal ring attached to the forward end of one of said sleevesand provided with external threads, the forward end of the other sleeveprovided internally with threads adapted to engage those on said ringand upon relative rotation of the sleeves in one direction structionformed of electric insulating material to draw the two together, theannular shoulders of each sleeve and the member enclosed thereby adaptedafter said frusto-conical surfaces are brought into engagement to abutone another before said ring has been completely threaded home.

HONEL A. JACKSON.

